Ridge Runner Chronicles: A New Blood-Sucker in the Neighborhood – April 10, 2025
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By Bill Hoagland
We have a new blood-sucker in the neighborhood and it is not a human bloodsucker; it is, instead, a professional blood-sucker; yes, I am referring to a new tick that just showed up on our doorstep here in the Midwest. This tick, commonly referred to as the Asian longhorned tick, is unfortunately hitch-hiking its way across the US. When I refer to hitch-hiking, I don’t mean riding shotgun in a pick-up but rather hitch-hiking by being attached to deer, birds and other animals that are mobile enough to cross state lines willy-nilly. That is how the Asian longhorned tick arrived here within the past year or so. And yes, we now have an additional tick problem.
The Asian longhorned tick has lived for years in China, Viet Nam, Korea and other east Asian countries. It has long been the vector there for a variety of livestock diseases and a particular fever referred to as the SFTS virus that results in fatal hemorrhaging in humans. But about five years ago, this tick was detected in New Jersey and since then, it has been spreading westward rapidly. While it may be too soon to say if the Asian longhorned tick is a vector for specific human diseases such as anaplasmosis, ehrliciosis or babesiosis, there is no question that it is the vector for several livestock diseases here in the US and there is no reason why the Asian longhorned tick won’t eventually be associated with one or more of these serious human diseases. In fact, scientists have already proved in a clinical setting that the Asian longhorned tick can carry and transmit the Heartland virus and the Rocky Mountain spotted fever, two potentially fatal diseases for humans. And all indications are that this tick can be a vector for the alpha-gal syndrome, the red meat allergy.
But there is something unique about the Asian longhorned tick that makes its presence here so troubling. The female of this species appears to be parthenogentic, meaning it has the ability to reproduce on its own without the need of a male counterpart or sperm from a male. To give you an idea of how significant this can be, consider what scientists determined after first finding the presence of this tick in New Jersey. In the span of ninety minutes, scientists found 10,000 of these ticks in a small feedlot with at least one cow having over 1,000 longhorned ticks attached. Each female Asian longhorned tick is capable of laying thousands of eggs per breeding season, so you can see why these ticks spread so quickly.
If you own cows, sheep or horses, it will be difficult to spot these ticks before they become an infestation in your herd because they are only the size of a poppy seed and they have a reddish-tan color. And for humans, all more the reason to spray before going outside and to check yourself (and your dog) for ticks as soon as you are inside.
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■ Bill Hoagland has practiced law in Alton for more than 50 years, but he has spent more than 70 years hunting, fishing and generally being in the great outdoors. His wife, Annie, shares his love of the outdoor life. Much of their spare time is spent on their farm in Calhoun County. Bill can be reached at [email protected].
